Starter

Study the events in the history of reform of the House of Lords and put them back into the correct sequence. Can you write the correct

dates back on each slip of paper? Which event was the most significant in the whole process?

Bicameralism vs Bicameralism vs UnicameralismUnicameralism

Unicameralism – single legislative chamberUnicameralism – single legislative chamber Strength of legislature vis-à-vis executive depends on Strength of legislature vis-à-vis executive depends on

nature of party systemnature of party system

Bicameralism – two legislative chambersBicameralism – two legislative chambers Weak vs strong bicameralismWeak vs strong bicameralism

Strong: 2 chambers have equal power (symmetrical)Strong: 2 chambers have equal power (symmetrical) Weak: lower chamber dominant (asymmetrical)Weak: lower chamber dominant (asymmetrical) 2 chambers can be (s)elected on different basis2 chambers can be (s)elected on different basis

Strong bicameralism in federal statesStrong bicameralism in federal states Weak bicameralism or unicameralism in unitary statesWeak bicameralism or unicameralism in unitary states The stronger the bicameralism, the stronger the The stronger the bicameralism, the stronger the

legislature vis-à-vis executive in parl’mentary systemslegislature vis-à-vis executive in parl’mentary systems

Is the House of Is the House of Lords in need of Lords in need of further reform?further reform?To create a timeline of reform for To create a timeline of reform for

The HoLThe HoL

To debate need for further reform To debate need for further reform of HoLof HoL

Aims

Your taskYour task

Read Watts, p.185-6 and note the Read Watts, p.185-6 and note the occasions on which the powers of occasions on which the powers of the HoL were limited or reformed. the HoL were limited or reformed. Look for these dates in particular:Look for these dates in particular:

1911 & 19491911 & 1949 19581958 19981998

The history of reformThe history of reform

19111911 Parliament Act: Parliament Act: Lords lose power Lords lose power to veto bills or delay bills more than two to veto bills or delay bills more than two yearsyears

19451945 Salisbury Doctrine estd. ensures Salisbury Doctrine estd. ensures Labour govt’s manifesto commitments to Labour govt’s manifesto commitments to nationalisation & welfare state are not nationalisation & welfare state are not overturned in Lordsoverturned in Lords

19491949 Parliament Act Lords block Labour Parliament Act Lords block Labour steel nationalisation plans. Delaying steel nationalisation plans. Delaying power cut to one year. power cut to one year.

19581958 First life peers created by Harold First life peers created by Harold Macmillan. Women peers arrive.Macmillan. Women peers arrive.

19991999 House of Lords act, first stage of House of Lords act, first stage of reform, only 92 hereditary peers leftreform, only 92 hereditary peers left

20002000 Wakeham Report published with Wakeham Report published with recommendations for second stage of recommendations for second stage of reform, including largely appointed reform, including largely appointed chamberchamber

Nov 2001Nov 2001 Robin Cook, leader of the Robin Cook, leader of the Commons, unveils the final stage Commons, unveils the final stage House of Lords reform. Stiff House of Lords reform. Stiff opposition from MPs from all parties opposition from MPs from all parties to call for only 20% of peers to be to call for only 20% of peers to be elected by the publicelected by the public

March 2004March 2004 Reform of House of Reform of House of Lords ‘kicked into the long grass’, Lords ‘kicked into the long grass’, possibly until after next electionpossibly until after next election

20062006, Speaker of , Speaker of House of LordsHouse of Lords

20092009 - Supreme - Supreme Court -Court -

Jack Straw

Baroness

Hayman

Composition of House of Composition of House of Lords 2009Lords 2009

Life Life PeersPeers

HereditariHereditarieses

Lords Lords SpiritualSpiritual

TOTALTOTAL

LabourLabour 210210 44 -- 214214

ConservativeConservative 148148 4848 -- 196196

Liberal DemsLiberal Dems 6666 55 -- 7171

CrossbencheCrossbenchersrs

169169 3232 -- 201201

BishopsBishops -- -- 2626 2626

OthersOthers 1515 22 -- 1717

TOTALTOTAL 608608 9191 2626 725725

House of Lords & House of Lords & Executive (1)Executive (1)

Lords once more powerful than CommonsLords once more powerful than Commons Representation of different social classesRepresentation of different social classes Composition: mainly hereditary peers (& Law Lords, bishops)Composition: mainly hereditary peers (& Law Lords, bishops)

Once had unlimited power to veto legislationOnce had unlimited power to veto legislation Parliament Act 1911Parliament Act 1911 – weakened Lords – weakened Lords

Bill could become law without Lords’ consent after 2 years, Bill could become law without Lords’ consent after 2 years, money bills after 1 month; aspired to remove hereditariesmoney bills after 1 month; aspired to remove hereditaries

Parliament Act 1949Parliament Act 1949 – 2 yrs delay cut to 1 year – 2 yrs delay cut to 1 year Attlee Govt worried Lords would block radical policiesAttlee Govt worried Lords would block radical policies Salisbury Convention emergedSalisbury Convention emerged

UK: weak bicameralismUK: weak bicameralism

Your taskYour task

Read through the article on the Wakeham Read through the article on the Wakeham Report and the Government’s response. Report and the Government’s response. Complete a table similar to the one below:Complete a table similar to the one below:

Key featuresKey features WakehamWakeham Govt Govt recommendatiorecommendatio

nsnsSize of second Size of second chamberchamber

Elections or Elections or appointments?appointments?

Role of Church Role of Church leadersleaders

Your taskYour task

Hold a boxing debate on the Hold a boxing debate on the following motion:following motion:

““This house believes the current This house believes the current House of Lords is undemocratic, out House of Lords is undemocratic, out of touch and in dire need of reform”of touch and in dire need of reform”

Your taskYour task

You have been asked to form a focus You have been asked to form a focus group examining issues relating to the group examining issues relating to the possible reform of the House of Lords. possible reform of the House of Lords. Work in groups of approximately 5 Work in groups of approximately 5 people. Nominate one person to be your people. Nominate one person to be your chair / scribe. Debate each issue, and try chair / scribe. Debate each issue, and try to reach a consensus as a group. The to reach a consensus as a group. The scribe should then record the view of scribe should then record the view of your group on that issue before your group on that issue before proceeding to the next one.proceeding to the next one.

Future of the Lords (2)Future of the Lords (2)

What is the purpose of a second What is the purpose of a second chamber in a non-federal state?chamber in a non-federal state?

Function > election?Function > election?

Democracy less important because Democracy less important because Lords doesn’t choose, maintain or Lords doesn’t choose, maintain or remove Govt & not involved in finance?remove Govt & not involved in finance?

Dual democratic legitimacies?Dual democratic legitimacies? Deadlock vs rubberstamp?Deadlock vs rubberstamp? Does present Lords show election unnecessary Does present Lords show election unnecessary

for upper chamber to check Govt for upper chamber to check Govt andand have have legitimacy?legitimacy?

Parliamentary ScrutinyParliamentary Scrutiny

Broader question: how effective are Broader question: how effective are parliamentary checks on the executive?parliamentary checks on the executive?

Debates on Lords reform: praise for Lords’ Debates on Lords reform: praise for Lords’ scrutinising rolescrutinising role

Strengthen Commons select Strengthen Commons select committees?committees?

But major barrier to parliamentary But major barrier to parliamentary scrutiny = whipping system and party scrutiny = whipping system and party loyaltyloyalty

Some evidence of greater willingness of Some evidence of greater willingness of backbench MPs to rebel against Govtbackbench MPs to rebel against Govt

Electoral Reform for Electoral Reform for CommonsCommons

Parliament weak because 2-party Parliament weak because 2-party systemsystem … … which derives from FPTP electoral which derives from FPTP electoral

systemsystem PR PR Coalition Govts Coalition Govts

Scotland/WalesScotland/Wales Executive more answerable to legislatureExecutive more answerable to legislature

Problem for reformers: Labour & Tories Problem for reformers: Labour & Tories not (usually) interested in PR – prefer not (usually) interested in PR – prefer single-party majority Govtssingle-party majority Govts

Seat-Vote Differentials in UK Seat-Vote Differentials in UK General Elections, 1964-2005General Elections, 1964-2005

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

1964 1966 1970 1974F

1974O

1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005

%CON LAB LIB

Note: Vertical axis measures (% seats won) minus (% votes won). Figures above zero indicate ‘unearned’ seats in parliament; figures below zero indicate ‘deprivation’ of seats; zero indicates perfect proportionality.

PlenaryPlenary

Imagine you have been set the Imagine you have been set the question ‘Is the House of Lords in question ‘Is the House of Lords in need of further reform?’ Write the need of further reform?’ Write the introduction to this essay question. introduction to this essay question. What makes a successful What makes a successful introduction?introduction?

Getting from satisfactory to Getting from satisfactory to superstar!superstar!

DefinitionDefinition ContextContext Problem to discuss / question to Problem to discuss / question to

resolveresolve

Satisfactory Good Star pupil!

Defines the Defines the word loosely. word loosely. Provides Provides limited limited context.context.

Clear Clear definition of definition of its current its current membership membership and function. and function. Accurate Accurate context, e.g. context, e.g. succintly succintly provides provides setting for setting for debate over debate over reformreform

Precise Precise definition, definition, with accurate with accurate context, context, closing with a closing with a question or question or statement statement which which suggests suggests there is room there is room for debate. for debate. Introduction Introduction engages the engages the reader and reader and makes them makes them want to read want to read on.on.

Extension taskExtension task

Try writing a success grid for a good Try writing a success grid for a good topic paragraph and a good topic paragraph and a good conclusionconclusion

Try writing the first topic paragraph Try writing the first topic paragraph of your essay.of your essay.